Japan's Sharp to make world's 1st 4K display panel for smartphones

Japan's Sharp Corp. has begun developing a super high-definition "4K" liquid crystal display ( LCD) panel for smartphones, the first such attempt in the world, Kyodo quoted a source close to the matter as saying on Monday.

Responding to growing demand for higher-quality display panels from Chinese handset makers, the Japanese electronics company will start manufacturing the new panel at its plant in Mie Prefecture as early as fiscal 2016 (April 1, 2016-March 31, 2017).

Smartphones that can record 4K videos are already sold by Sony Corp. as well as Sharp. But the 4k quality cannot be maintained when the recorded videos are played on those devices.

The size of the new display will be 5 to 6 inches, the source said.

Sharp will improve the quality of what is called low- temperature polysilicon LCDs to develop a 4K display panel.

It has been separately developing high-end panels with a density of nearly 600 pixels per inch mainly for the Chinese market, aiming to put them into practical use in the next fiscal year starting April 1, 2015.

But the planned 4K panel is expected to surpass that quality, the source said.